SC man dies on Thanksgiving while hunting with his 11-year-old son, Upstate coroner says

An Upstate man died on Thanksgiving Day after he fell from a tree stand while hunting with his 11-year-old son, the Anderson County coroner announced Friday.

Personnel with Anderson County EMS, Medshore Ambulance Service, the Anderson County Fire Department, Lifeflight and the Department of Natural Resources responded to the 8000 block of Highway 24 in Townville around 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, after a 911 call reported that a man had fallen from a tree stand and was unresponsive.

The 11-year-old son began CPR on his father, and EMS continued resuscitation efforts when they arrived.

The man was then taken an emergency room and died from his injuries around 7 p.m. He was identified 43-year-old Michael K. Roger of Townville, the coroner’s office said.

An investigation found that Roger fell 18 feet from a tree stand while hunting. Roger had a severe neck injury, which led to his death. The coroner’s office said he has been recently sick, and the fall may have been because of an underlying illness.

Roger’s death was classified as accidental.

The Anderson County Office of the Coroner and the law enforcement division of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources is continuing to investigate the death.

Alexa Jurado

The State

Alexa Jurado is a news reporter for The State covering Lexington County and Richland County schools. She previously wrote about the University of South Carolina and contributes to this coverage. A Chicago suburbs native, Alexa graduated from Marquette University and previously wrote for publications in Illinois and Wisconsin. Her work has been recognized by the Society of Professional Journalists, the Milwaukee Press Club and the South Carolina Press Association.